Abstract
Working the Story distinguishes itself from other news writing textbooks by targeting a broader range of writers, from reporters to publicists, and from columnists to corporate ghostwriters. The scope perfectly mirrors the authors’ extensive professional experiences: Douglas Perret Starr worked as a veteran journalist and a ghostwriter, and Deborah Williams Dunsford had more than twenty years of experience in public relations and media writing.
To say that the range of the book’s topics is wide would be an understatement. It is almost all-inclusive. Topics are divided first by the identity of the writer (journalist and publicist) and then by a number of parameters, such as the nature of the story (e.g., general news, crime, politics, corporate speech, etc.), medium (e.g., radio, television, blog, etc.) and career (e.g., freelancing, job hunting, etc.). Readers would almost always be able to find chapters that they squarely fit in.
The succinct style of the book also differs itself from similar books in the market. Most of the chapters imbue with tip-sheet style summaries of working knowledge. For example, on covering crime, courts, and trials, the book offers a fifteen-bullet-point list of Constitutional protection of U.S. citizens and non-citizens. The process of planning a convention, for another example, is simplified into twelve steps, along with a more elaborate section introducing a comprehensive list of components of a convention, from budget and speakers to coffee breaks and entertainers.
As quickly accessible as it is, the book, however, should not be seen as a mere compilation of quick tips. In fact, the authors have made great efforts to cover background knowledge that unquestionably makes their advice more relevant and effective for practitioners. The beginning of the book is devoted to the importance of the press and Constitutional rights, all of which are revisited when they are needed to either advance information collection or defend journalistic integrity. Similarly, the authors discuss typical phases of crime and law enforcement before directing reporters to proper sources in various stages.
More than offering the contexts for their advice, the book also provides suggestions on internalizing working knowledge and developing solid writing and research skills. For instance, keen observation and a sharp memory are essential to news reporters. A wide array of exercises, including reading two books of different genres and describing their details later, or recollecting nuanced details of a scene, aim to develop the capacity to recreate fieldwork without resorting to written notes.
The comprehensiveness, context, and practicality of the book make it a great reference guide for both novice students and seasoned professionals. Although, in theory, the Internet can offer background and working knowledge of much greater volume, the carefully curated advice and demand-oriented organization of the book offer a superior experience of practitioners who need quick and quality guidance on-the-go. However, the book’s strengths may paradoxically turn away some readers. To instructors who prefer an example-rich teaching method, the book may look “dry” if no supplementary material is used in combination. The “how-to” tips in the book only occasionally come with examples demonstrating how they are practiced in the field. Also, the inclusiveness of the book primarily serves either readers wanting a head start in the profession or those needing a refresher of the basic techniques for certain kinds of writing, rather than writers seeking deeper insights. The section titled “How to Criticize Each Art Form”—including architecture, print media, performance arts, music, dance, restaurant, and lecture—takes about three pages.
Despite the book’s extraordinarily wide spectrum, there is still something conspicuously missing. Reporters today are increasingly compelled to work with large amounts of data, namely, the “Big Data” to produce stories hardly achievable by traditional means. Meanwhile, issues have emerged in almost every stage of the process: data access, data collection, data analysis, and data presentation all have given rise to distinct practical and ethical challenges. If “How to Make and Deliver a Briefing” makes a chapter in the book, it would be reasonable to ask for equal attention to this increasingly common practice in journalism. It is understandable that this book is by no means a book on data-driven journalism, but at least reporters interested in this area can acquire from the book a rudimentary understanding of how, for example, the Freedom of Information Act may help them retrieve data from the police or what resources they can turn to for help.
The book Working the Story features an efficient organization of numerous practical tips written with much brevity and clarity. In fact, few books targeting the same audiences offer a view as panoramic as the authors did. More than an excellent reference book, it also strives to nurture a new generation of journalists and publicists with a decent understanding of the political and economic backgrounds of their subject matters. For introductory journalism and public relations courses, the book may be a viable choice, if coupled with other materials that exemplify some of its recommendations. With the ever-evolving practices in the fields, this edition has left room for future expansion, which hopefully will be fulfilled to serve the reader even better.